The Digital

The concept of digital photography, to me, is both beneficial and detrimental to the medium of photography. It gives the photographer the ability to combine two images or ideas and “present a possible world rather than an actual one” (325). However, it also has the ability to trick the viewer into believing an untruth and can take away from the pureness associated with photography. Digital photography can make the viewer question whether what appears in the image is actually real. Both essays address the concept of manipulating image without the viewer being aware. Mitchell states, “[digital photography] provides an opportunity for the photographic fakers to take advantage of us” (320). Batchen writes, “newspapers and magazines have…manipulated their images in one way or another” (353-4). The idea of a digitally altered image being presented as a pure photograph is disconcerting. I feel that if the observer understood the original had been tampered with, there would be no conflict surrounding this new technological development. However, producing these images without notifying the viewer is somewhat of a lie. Overall, I do not like the fact that photographs are no longer seen with a sense of purity. If an image has an astounding appearance the initial reaction is no longer awe, but the repetitive question of “was that photo-shopped?”
Batchen’s essay ended with the statement, “Photography will cease to be a dominant element of modern life only when the desire to photograph…is refigured as another social and cultural reformation” (357). I agree with this claim, for I do not believe digitalization will cause the death of photography. I think it will just alter its path a bit; changes have been seen throughout the history of photography and the medium itself has evolved with these variations. Some might not be particularly enthralled with the introduction of this new process, but, no matter what, there always seems to be some disgruntled people when a new technological development is introduced. Photography is a way of life for some and it is not going to disappear any time soon.